Collette Vacations Rediscover Cuba - A Cultural Exploration

Transcription

1 North Central MA Chamber of Commerce Refers Collette Vacations Rediscover Cuba - A Cultural Exploration March 4 12, 2014 $ 100 Collette Travel Service, Inc. d/b/a Collette Vacations ( Collette ) has been issued a license (license number CT ) by the Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) which authorizes registered guests of our programs, under the auspices of Collette, to legally travel to Cuba, to participate and engage in a full time schedule of authorized educational exchange activities in Cuba, which will involve meaningful interaction between you and people in Cuba. Prior to departure, Collette will provide you with a Letter of Authorization to confirm your legal travel status, the authorized travel agenda and activities, and your recordkeeping responsibilities. For more information contact Teresa Roberts North Central MA Chamber of Commerce (978) roberts@massweb.org

2 9 Days 19 Meals: 8 Breakfasts, 5 Lunches, 6 Dinners BOOK NOW see please note section for details Double $3,999 * Single $4,399 Regular rates: Double $4,099 Single $4,499 $ 100 Included in Price: Round Trip Air from Logan Intl Airport, Air Taxes and Fees/Surcharges, Hotel Transfers Not included in price: Cancellation Waiver and Insurance of $230 per person * All Rates are Per Person and are subject to change IMPORTANT CONDITIONS: Your price is subject to increase prior to the time you make full payment. Your price is not subject to increase after you make full payment, except for charges resulting from increases in government-imposed taxes or fees. Once deposited, you have 7 days to send us written consumer consent or withdraw consent and receive a full refund. (See registration form for consent.) Cuba

3 HIGHLIGHTS Trinidad, Pottery Demonstration, Cienfuegos, Havana, Cuban Fine Arts Museum, Casa Fuster Day 1: Tuesday, March 4, 2014 Fly to Miami, Florida - Tour Begins Join us as you come to know the people of Cuba and explore the cultural treasures of this island just 90 miles off the coast of the United States. Fly into Miami, our gateway to Cuba. Tonight, get acquainted with your fellow travelers during a welcome reception and trip briefing. Day 2: Wednesday, March 5, 2014 Miami - Trinidad, Cuba Your journey begins as you fly from Miami to Cienfuegos Airport. Transfer to Trinidad, known for its cobblestone streets and pastel-colored houses. Tonight, a welcome dinner at a local restaurant introduces you to the vibrant culture of the Cuban people. Mingle with the locals and enjoy some live traditional music. Your evening includes a fascinating interactive lecture on the instruments used to produce the distinctive Sounds of Cuba. (B, D) Day 3: Thursday, March 6, 2014 Trinidad - Manaca Iznaga - Trinidad Today, discover Trinidad and walk with a local expert who will guide you through the Palacio Cantero, the city s history museum housed in a restored Neoclassical palace. This is the perfect opportunity to ask about the unique houses that make up this museum of a city. Next, visit Manaca Iznaga s former sugar factory and estate, located in the beautiful Valle de los Ingenios, or Valley of the Sugar Mills. Learn about the history of sugar production and its integral importance to the island s economy and the Cuban way of life. Your guide offers insight on the types of agriculture that are significant today. Enjoy lunch at the estate before learning about the local art of linenmaking from the residents who make their living via this craft. This afternoon, visit a ceramic studio and enjoy a pottery demonstration. The owners will be onhand to discuss traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation. Perhaps take a turn at the potter s wheel for a hands-on experience with this craft. (B, L, D) Day 4: Friday, March 7, 2014 Trinidad - Cienfuegos - Trinidad This morning, set off for La Perla del Sur the city of Cienfuegos, referred to as the Pearl of the South. Visit the Cienfuegos Province Botanical Gardens, the oldest of its kind on the island. During a fascinating walking tour, learn about the garden s ties with Harvard University and its founding as a research center where a sugar mill once stood. After a picnic lunch, explore the historic Plaza Mayor. Peruse the shops, converse with the shopkeepers and

4 get a true taste of the local culture. Learn how Cuba s ration system works and discover which types of goods are available for Cubans to purchase. Afterward, visit a working Cuban cigar factory! Learn about the life of the workers and get an in depth look at how a typical Cuban factory runs. Later, visit Tomas Terry Theatre, an impressive opera house on Plaza Mayor. Sit back and enjoy a charming choral performance, followed by time to meet the performers. Return to Trinidad for dinner in one of the city s restaurants for an authentic Cuban dining experience. (B, L, D) Day 5: Saturday, March 8, 2014 Trinidad - Havana Embark on a scenic drive this morning, past lush mountains and forests, pleasant country towns and farms, and the pristine Caribbean Sea. Enjoy lunch at La Cueva de los Peces, which is named for the nearby Cave of the Fish, a cenote or sinkhole filled with multicolored sea life. You may even spot Cuba s national bird, the Tocororo, and some of the island's most colorful fish. Visit the historic sugar mill which Fidel Castro once used as his headquarters during the Bay of Pigs Invasion. Climb aboard a steam train and be whisked away through farmlands, stopping along the way to see farmers at work. Strike up a conversation and discover what a typical work day is like for them. Next, travel across the countryside to Havana, Cuba s capital. Explore the Hotel Nacional, an iconic national landmark. Tonight, enjoy Cuban favorites as you dine at El Aljibe, in the most modern part of the city. (B, L, D) Day 6: Sunday, March 9, 2014 Havana This morning, learn about Cuba s revolutionary literacy campaign of While visiting the Literacy Museum, engage with its director who offers his personal perspective into the education system in Cuba and efforts to reach even the most rural communities. Then visit a local health care facility to meet the staff and learn more about the health care system in Cuba. Then, savor lunch at a traditional restaurant in Old Havana, the perfect setting to immerse yourself in the culture of the city. You are in for a treat when you visit a local performing arts school and meet its creative students. Dinner is included tonight as you visit one of the area s paladars, a small specialty restaurant with its own organic farm. Meet the proprietors of this family-run and privately-owned business. They will share stories about opening a privately-run restaurant in Cuba. Perhaps you will share stories from your own life. (B, L, D) Day 7: Monday, March 10, 2014 Havana Today, explore the strong connections of this community as you spend time visiting the benefactors of a local charity that focuses on caring for the elderly.

5 Afterwards, visit a local park where local antique car owners gather. Discuss how car ownership in Cuba works, along with the ingenious ways they keep these classics running after all these years. Next, visit a historic hotel in Old Havana to interact with some professional dancers. Learn about the Cuban national dance, Salsa. Strike up a conversation with the dancers about their lives and Cuba's dance culture while learning some of the basic steps of this remarkable dance. (B) Day 8: Tuesday, March 11, 2014 Havana - Casa Fuster - Havana Walk through the dramatic evolution of Cuban art at the Cuban Fine Arts Museum. Enjoy a presentation given by a passionate local art historian. Travel to Casa Fuster for an insider s look at the work and life of Cuban artist Jose Fuster. One of his apprentices or even the artist himself will be on hand to talk about his art, inspired by Gaudi. Experience a lunch that captures the energy of daily life in Havana at La Ferminia, a popular restaurant that resides on legendary 5th Avenue. Later, learn about policies between the U.S. and Cuba during an interesting discussion led by a Cuban scholar. This evening, take a trip around Havana in one of the antique American cars that the city is known for. Finally, savor dinner in one of Havana s finest restaurants as you celebrate an amazing journey and your new Cuban friends. (B, L, D) Day 9: Wednesday, March 12, 2014 Havana - Miami, Florida - Tour Ends Fly from Havana to Miami. Your tour ends today. (B) ITINERARY AT A GLANCE Day 1 Marriott Miami Airport, Miami,Florida Days 2 4 Days 5 8 Hotel Las Brisas, Trinidad Hotel Nacional de Cuba, Havana On some dates alternate hotels may be used. PLEASE NOTE: Book Now rates valid until Oct 4, 2013, valid on air inclusive packages only. Please note that a departure tax of 25 CUC (Cuban Pesos Convertibles), approximately 30 USD, must be paid for in cash upon departing Havana Airport and returning back to the United States. To complete your vacation, we include roundtrip airport-to-hotel transfers when purchasing Collette airfare with your tour. If you have arranged for your own air, we are pleased to provide you the option of purchasing these transfers. Please note that all For important reservation information visit You can also find this information on your tour documents.

6 transfers will leave at pre-scheduled times. Single accommodations are limited and are available on a first come, first served basis. Due to heavy demand for this destination and our ability to provide intimate cultural interactions with the local people of Cuba, this tour will operate with a maximum of 30 passengers. This tour may also operate in reverse on certain dates. Please note that triple accommodations are not available on the Rediscover Cuba program. This is an educational program that requires full-time participation; therefore, we require participants to be at least 15 years of age. The domestic flights to/from Miami are not included in the land price of your vacation. Domestic flights may be arranged separately if you decide to purchase your own air. Charter flights to/from Cuba are part of your package cost to Cuba. Due to flight schedules on your return from Havana to Miami, you may require a post night in the Miami area at your own expense. Return flights from Miami should not be booked prior to 4:00 PM. In order to fulfill OFAC s licensing requirements on this tour, you will have a full-time schedule of educational exchange activities that will result in a meaningful interaction between the traveler, you, and individuals in Cuba. The itinerary has been designed with these requirements in mind and there will be no leisure time on this program as on other Collette tours. The days and order of sightseeing may change to best utilize your time on tour and to better facilitate meaningful educational exchanges. Due to unforeseen circumstances and schedule changes, educational visits may be interchanged with similar activities. Record Keeping Requirements per OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Department of the Treasury): Each passenger is required to keep a general written record of each day's activities in Cuba as to the various sites visited and transactions or activities engaged in. Such records shall be kept and retained by passenger to be made available for examination upon demand (by OFAC) for at least five (5) years from the date of each transaction. Collette Travel Service, Inc. d/b/a Collette Vacations ( Collette ) has been issued a license (license number CT ) by the Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) which authorizes registered guests of our programs, under the auspices of Collette, to legally travel to Cuba, to participate and engage in a full time schedule of authorized educational exchange activities in Cuba, which will involve meaningful interaction between you and people in Cuba. Prior to departure, Collette will provide you with a Letter of Authorization to confirm your legal travel status, the authorized travel agenda and activities, and your recordkeeping responsibilities. This tour includes moderate physical activity. The itinerary blends some longer days with shorter days and more leisure time. Walking tours, as well as walking slightly longer distances, up stairs or on uneven walking surfaces should be expected. Air rate and schedule are applicable for groups of 10 or more traveling on the same flights and dates. NOTES: For more information visit

7 Collette Vacations Rediscover Cuba - A Cultural Exploration RES#: TRAVEL DATE: 3/04/2014 TERRITORY: A3 For Reservations Contact: Teresa Roberts (978) roberts@massweb.org North Central MA Chamber of Commerce, 860 South St, Fitchburg, MA First deposit of $250 per person due upon reservation. Reservations are made on a first come, first served basis. Reservations made after the seat reduction date of 9/27/2013 are based upon availability. Final payment due by 1/4/2014. The waiver insurance fees are fully refundable up to 10/4/2013. YOUR INFORMATION: Clearly print your full name (first/middle/last) as it appears on your government issued travel documentation. First: Middle: Last: Suffix: Address: City: State: Zip Code: Phone: ( ) Cell: ( ) Nickname: Gender: ( ) Male ( ) Female Date of Birth: (month/day/year) / / Passport Number: Expiration Date: Date of Issuance: City, State, Country of Issuance: Citizenship: Emergency Contact: Phone: ( ) ROOMING WITH: First: Middle: Last: Suffix: AIR GATEWAY: Departure airport for this tour: Air Seat Request: ( ) Aisle ( ) Window ( ) Next To Traveling Companion Collette Vacations cannot guarantee your seat preference. If you have not purchased air through Collette Vacations and wish to purchase transfers, you must transfer at our pre-scheduled times. AIR UPGRADE: I am interested in purchasing an air upgrade to business or first class ( ) Yes ( ) No Are you willing to separate from the group air schedule to accommodate your upgrade request? ( ) Yes ( ) No TRAVEL PROTECTION: ( ) Yes, I wish to purchase travel protection $230 ( ) No, I decline If you choose not to purchase Collette's Waiver Insurance Plan, you will incur penalties for changes and cancellations. Travel Protection Payment is due with first deposit. The waiver insurance fees do not cover any single supplement charges which arise from an individual s traveling companion electing to cancel for any reason prior to departure. In this case, the single supplement will be deducted from the refund of the person who cancels. PLEASE MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: Collette Vacations ( ) Check ( ) Credit Card Waiver/Insurance Amount: $ Deposit Amount: $ Total amount enclosed: $ Cardholder Name: Cardholder Address: Cardholder Phone: Expiration Date: Credit Card Number: Amount charged: $ Important Conditions: Your price is subject to increase prior to the time you make full payment. Your price is not subject to increase after you make full payment, except for charges resulting from increases in government-imposed taxes or fees. SIGNATURE REQUIRED for acceptance of the above conditions and agreement to credit card use: Date: I understand and accept Collette Vacations cancellation policy, terms and conditions. If paying by credit card, I agree to pay according to the card issuer agreement.

8 North Central MA Chamber of Commerce 860 South St Fitchburg, Massachusetts, For more information contact Teresa Roberts North Central MA Chamber of Commerce (978)